Because They're Good Boobs
by MakeItSoWesley
Summary: An AU that's post S14E18, the one where Arizona doesn't have breast cancer. But I felt something was missing. This isn't it, but it's fun.


**AN: This is just a little post-S14E18 that I thought of, it's obviously AU. But I think it's a good starting point.**

Callie Torres was eating dinner at a small cafe near the NYU campus when her phone buzzed with an incoming text beside her. She decided to ignore it, she wasn't on call right now and Arizona would call if something was wrong with Sofia. Since she had broken up with Penny almost six months ago she'd been going on a few sporadic dates with people. Some of whom were clingy and overbearing. If that was one thing she missed about the small Seattle dating scene, someone she knew, somewhere, had already dated them and could warn her.

Like Steak Knives. Thank god Arizona had decided to say something.

Her phone buzzed again on the table, and she sighed, knowing that she would have to check the phone in case one of her residents was stupid. Which they all were. Arizona's name was there, and Callie could see that there were three unread messages.

 _Can you call me? If you're not busy or with anyone. Just can you please? -A_

 _Sofia is fine, I just need to talk to you. -A_

 _No, nevermind, it's okay. I'm fine. April checked and it's fine and Owen was there and I'm fine. It really was nothing and I'm fine. I've just had some wine because Sofia is at Meredith's and I wanted to hear your voice because it always makes me feel better. It's okay though. -A_

As Callie was reading these messages, becoming increasingly concerned about her ex-wife, a fourth message came through.

 _I'm really okay. Sorry to bother you. -A_

Callie finished the wine in her glass and signalled for the check. While they had been building a friendship recently, talking to each other more when she called to talk to Sofia, texting funny stories from their days, emailing more personal information, Callie had never seen this side of Arizona before. The over texter.

Fingers flying over the touchscreen of her phone she typed back quickly; _I can call you soon okay, I'm just out to dinner. What happened? -C_

The check came and she paid quickly, pulling her coat on and gripping her phone so she wouldn't miss the buzz of an incoming text.

 _No. Stay. Enjoy your company. I'm okay. -A_

 _I was eating alone, and you've said you're okay about six times now. Which means you're not okay. -C_

 _It's nothing. -A_

 _I'm just drunk and forgot that I wasn't allowed to want to hear your voice. -A_

 _I am fine though. -A_

 _Arizona, please. -C_

 _Owen and I took down a dirty doctor who told me I have breast cancer. -A_

Callie stumbled a bit reading that. Arizona has breast cancer? Callie's mind quickly began run through a preparation sheet of things she needed to do. Take leave from the hospital, or quit out right. She knew she could get a job back at GSM, she would have to book a plane ticket. Find a place to live. No, she'd stay at Arizona's house to make sure that Sofia could be near her when she was fighting this. Her mind was flying a hundred miles a minute, and her fingers shook trying to get her key into the lock of her apartment when her phone buzzed again.

 _I don't have breast cancer. Owen and April looked. That's why Owen destroyed him. -A_

Callie nearly fell to the floor with relief at that. Instead she sank onto the couch and dialled Arizona's number.

"Callie, hi." Sighing with relief, she could hear the alcohol in Arizona's words.

"Arizona, what happened?" She asked.

"Dr. Hanson said I had breast cancer but he was lying, so Owen, you remember Owen? He's got red hair and a beard. Anyway, Owen called the police. Except Dr. Hanson probably thought his name was Otis. I did not think that through calling him Otis. It's so close to Owen."

Callie laughed, not understanding anything that Arizona was saying through her drunkeness, but the main point was that she didn't have breast cancer. Though in this state, Arizona might not know what she was saying. She'd call Owen tomorrow and get the story from him.

"Arizona, honey, you have to start at the beginning."

"Boobs get cancer, not my boobs, cause Owen and April checked and they don't have cancer."

"No, Arizona, focus. Why did you think you have breast cancer? Did you feel a lump?"

"Like two months ago I delivered a baby to Peggy and Dayna, and then they came to the ER cause Peggy crashed the car, but the baby was fine and so was Peggy, but Dayna said her chest hurt because the airbag didn't go off, and then Owen said we should get a CT, and then Dayna said she had breast cancer and it was the chemo that made her throw up that made Peggy crash. Then we tried to get the medical records but Blood Bank couldn't do it, interns right, then the CT came back and there was no signs of breast cancer. And Dr. Hanson wouldn't give us the medical records, so me and Owen went. We pretended to be married and didn't tell him we were doctors, I was Mrs. Arizona Hunt and he was Otis Hunt. So he said I have breast cancer, he showed us the lesions on the ultrasound, and all I wanted to do was talk to you. Owen shouldn't have been there when I got breast cancer you should have been."

There were so many questions running through her head. Who was Blood Bank and how did they get the name? But the most pressing was if the ultrasound showed lesions, how did they know she didn't actually have breast cancer.

"So if he showed you the lesions, how do you know you don't have breast cancer?"

"Owen drove us back to the hospital, and he held my hand the whole way he's so nice, I love Otis, and then April did a mammogram and another ultrasound. Then when Owen came in and I was naked April tried to stop him, but he already saw my boobs anyway so no big deal right, she's so nice too. I love April. Anyway all three of us looked and there's nothing. April also took my blood just in case. Labs are good. All I could think of was you. When I did have breast cancer and then when I didn't again, all I wanted was for you to hold my hand in the car and to hear your voice asking me if I was all right. But we're divorced you know. I'm not allowed to want that right? But I did anyway Callie because Owen isn't you and April isn't you, you're the only you and I wanted you."

Callie could hear Arizona take another sip of wine, we'll more like a gulp, and she pulled the phone from her and waited for a full breath before she put it back to find Arizona mid speech again.

"-so I was just sitting there tits out and crying because I didn't want to have breast cancer. And I could barely understand when April was saying it was clear. I was thinking about our joking testing each other you know. Your boobs are perfect, Callie. You told me and Mark told me and Alex told me that I have great boobs and all I could think of then was that Jackson was going to have to cut off my great boobs and I missed Mark. And I missed you and I was scared. But it sunk in then that I was okay. He was faking the ultrasounds Callie."

Callie took a shuddering breath, finally calming her heart rate and wishing she could be with Arizona right now. Drunk Arizona was always a delight, she was chatty and super perky and her smile got lopsided and brighter, she was a pleasure to behold when she was drunk. But the Arizona that was talking to her now was scared, frightened and Callie could hear that the smile was missing, that the alcohol was not doing good things for her.

"But you don't have breast cancer, right? You're okay?"

And suddenly she needed Arizona to be okay. The world needed Arizona Robbins. She needed Arizona Robbins.

"Only for 37 minutes. Owen drove really really fast back to the hospital."

Callie chuckled a little bit. Leaning back into the couch cushions, she wished she were in Seattle right now. Her and Penny had broken up a couple months ago, and she knew that her heart resided in Seattle. It was home. In more ways than Arizona and Sofia.

"I should go Callie. Cause I'm gonna throw up now."

Callie didn't even get to say goodbye before the phone disconnected. Checking the time, she saw that it wasn't too late in Seattle, she sent a text to Alex asking him to check on Arizona. He responded with a thumbs up emoji, and she sent one to Andrew as well, but he was on night shift so he said he would text her in the morning letting her know how Arizona was doing.

Finally she decided to call Owen, she needed someone who wasn't drunk to explain what had happened today. She was sure that Arizona was fine, she wasn't known to exaggerate or lie when drunk, but the fact that she had drunk herself to throwing up worried Callie.

"Hunt." The gruff man's voice came over the line.

"Hey Owen, it's Callie."

"You heard from Arizona, then?" His normally dark voice was tinged with concern and lightness, compassion colouring his words.

"Yeah, what happened today?"

Callie's eyes widened as she listened to Owen recount the story. Arizona had told her most of it, but had left out that the hospitals lawyers would be contacting her soon, as a member of the board and that Arizona and Owen would have to attend the trial and give testimony. But the most important fact was that Arizona was in perfect health.

After Owen and she said goodbye, Callie went to the kitchen and got herself another glass of wine. She'd been realizing over the last few months, even before she broke up with Penny, that her story wasn't entirely finished. More would be written with them because of Sofia, but Callie had had a sneaking suspicion that she and Arizona, as them and not just as mothers, was incomplete. They were becoming friends again, a place that hadn't really ever been something they shared. They met and they kissed and they fell into dating, and then marriage and divorced. The time apart had been healing, for both, but it was moving forward.

And while Callie was no longer _in love_ with Arizona, she still loved her. Had always loved her, will probably always love her. But she could see herself going that way. Falling for the blonde again.

In the living room her phone buzzed, hoping it might be Arizona she checked quickly, but it was a text from Jo.

 _Hey Callie, she passed out in the bathroom, Alex is putting her in her bed, but should we remove her leg? I know we should, but that feels like an invasion. -Jo_

 _Please, yes. But leave it close to the bed. She likes the silicone sock on her dresser. -C_

Callie drained her wine and poured herself another generous helping, this was not how she thought the night would go.

888*

Arizona had woken with a pounding headache and she woke in the clothes that she had worn yesterday, minus her pants her prosthetic. She did not remember doing that. But beside the silicone sock on her nightstand was a glass of water and a bottle of ibuprofen. In the distance she could hear Andrew in the kitchen, and the sound a familiar woman, but the pounding in her head made it hard to place.

She dressed quickly, and took two of the pills and downed the water before making her way to the kitchen for some coffee. Instead of Andrew she found Alex and Jo in the kitchen. Alex was sitting at the table while Jo was making breakfast.

"Good morning Dr. Robbins!" Arizona winced as Jo's overly cheerful voice reacher her and hurt her ears.

"Hey Robbins," Alex started with a smirk on his face, "Mer called and said she got Sofia to school with Zola."

 _Right._ She'd known where Sofia was, that much she could remember.

"Why are you guys here, where's Andrew?" She asked as Jo rounded the island and handed her a cup of coffee, she took it gratefully and sipped it, hoping that the caffeine would soothe her headache soon.

"DeLuca is at the hospital, and Torres texted me last night and asked me to check on you. When we got here you were passed out by the toilet."

How did she not remember this? And how did Callie know? She remembered packing a bag for Sofia and dropping her off at Meredith's, and she remembered wine. Lots and lots of wine. But she didn't remember speaking with Callie.

Checking her phone she saw that she had indeed called Callie, and texted her, and she felt her face flush as bits and pieces of the night came back to her. _Crap._

"Everything okay Robbins?" Alex asked as Jo joined them at the table with three plates of bacon and eggs.

"My leg?" She asked. She harboured no resentment towards Alex for him making the cut, and really everyone said he'd done a wonderful job, but she wasn't sure she wanted him to be the one to help with that aspect of it. She loved the man, dearly, but still, boundaries.

Jo's face turned a deep shade of red though, and Arizona breathed a sigh of relief. "That was me. You were very... combative when I tried to take your pants off. You told me you were married and to stay in my own pants. But then you fell asleep again, so I took your leg off and the sock. Then Alex put you in bed more fully."

"Thank you, Jo." Alex just laughed.

"You're welcome, Dr. Robbins."

"Please, you can call me Arizona. I've told you. But now… you know."

"I'll work on it."

"Dude, I still don't feel comfortable calling you Arizona." Alex added.

They finished their breakfast and Arizona waved Jo when she tried to start cleaning the kitchen. While her friends left, she cleaned the kitchen and then drove to work, her desire to call Callie overwhelming. To know what she said, instead of the vague snippets that were floating through her mind.

Fatefully, as she was pulling into the hospital, her phone buzzed with a text from Callie.

 _How are you feeling? -C_

 _I'm so sorry about that, I was… I don't know. I'm sorry. -A_

 _You were drunk, Arizona. It was kind of cute. -C_

 _Not kind of. You were adorable. -C_

Arizona felt her face burn once again, and a small flutter of something in her chest and stomach that she didn't want to identify.

 _I'm so sorry. -A_

 _Don't be. I'm glad that you felt comfortable asking me for help. I mean you scared the crap out of me, but you're okay, and that's what's important. -C_

 _Thank you for asking Alex to check on me. For taking care of me. -A_

Just then a text from Owen came through. _Mrs. Hunt, board meeting in 15._

She responded, _On my way Otis._

 _Anytime Arizona. -C_

She changed into scrubs quickly, and made her way to the conference room, surprised at the missing Alex. He had been standing in as proxy for Callie since she had moved to New York. Instead, the computer they used to Skype Callie was set up, and Owen and April were there.

When the screen turned on and Callie filled the screen, Arizona couldn't stop the smile that spread her cheeks, or the way that the butterflies returned to her stomach. She still didn't want to identify it, but she knew what it was. It was Callie.

As Bailey began the meeting, she listened as Owen explained what they had done yesterday, and why they had done it. She felt the small flame of fear again when he mentioned the fearful 37 minutes when they thought she might have had breast cancer, but she saw the way that Callie's smile faltered at the mention. She felt the way that everyone turned to look at her, and heard the sighs of relief when April explained that she had redone the ultrasound and found nothing. Her eyes only left Callie when April and Owen explained about Owen being at that ultrasound too, and the way that everyone looked at her knowing that Owen had seen everything.

And she was okay with that, because knowing that Owen had seen most of her was okay, because he had been so helpful and kind yesterday, and that he wasn't the kind of man who would be lascivious with it.

"So, Hunt, Kepner, and Robbins," Bailey began as the story was finished, "the lawyers will be here in about an hour to take your statements, then the police will need an official statement from you Robbins."

Arizona just nodded as Meredith, Jackson, and Richard left the room. They all stopped and hugged her, apologizing for what happened yesterday. She smiled when Meredith leaned in and whispered "Kind of jealous that I haven't seen your boobs, too." Arizona slapped her arm as she left.

"Hey, Kepner, Hunt," Callie's voice came through over the TV and all three of them turned to look at her. "Can you give Arizona and I a minute?"

"Sure Torres," Owen said with a wave.

"We'll wait outside," April said, shutting the door behind herself.

The butterflies were back. Across three thousand miles and through a pixelated screen, the sight of Calliope Torres could still cause a swarm of butterflies.

"Hey," she whispered, moving to stand directly in front of the camera.

"Hey," Callie whispered back. She could see the wall of Callie's office behind her, the artwork that decorated it and her degrees.

"I'm sor-" She began to apologize again when Callie cut her off.

"It's okay, Arizona. Yesterday must have been hard for you, and I understand. I'm sorry I wasn't there, but I'm glad everyone else was."

"Yeah, me too. Everyone was great."

They lapsed into a brief, but comfortable silence, just looking at each other through their respective screens.

"I haven't been that drunk… god, in forever. I don't even remember. Even when you brought Penny to that dinner party, I was drunk then, but not this bad." She was glad that they could speak this way to each other, that bringing up the painful memories from their past didn't hurt.

"Yeah, I was concerned when you called, but when I heard the story I understood. Before I called, you just texted ' _I have breast cancer,'_ I almost fell down. I wanted to get really drunk. In fact, you were so drunk I had to call Owen to confirm what you were saying."

"Oh god, I'm so sorry."

"I understand."

They lapsed into silence again.

"Do you remember what you said to me? About Owen?" And Arizona couldn't remember. Besides that he had seen her naked breasts, what could have possibly said?

"Do I want to?"

The sound of Callie's laughter was a balm to soothe her soul. It was top three things she had missed about Callie after their divorce. It was a sound that was gone from their lives for a long while, but when Callie had still been here, even if it wasn't Arizona that was making her laugh, she got to hear it. That melodious and loud laugh that always made her smile. Like it was making her smile now.

"You asked me if I remember him, then you described him as having red hair and beard. That was it. 'He's got red hair and a beard' and it was funny." Callie laughed again, and this time Arizona laughed with her.

"Well, I think the lawyers are here now, so hopefully you can tell me the other embarrassing things I said."

"Arizona?" Callie's voice had changed. It was her deeper, more concerned voice. The one she used when she had bad news.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad your boobs don't have cancer."

Arizona smiled, pleased that Callie had been concerned for her health and safety.

"And that Jackson doesn't have to cut them off. They're good boobs." Callie winked at her and waved goodbye, and before Arizona could reply Callie had disconnected the call.

A couple hours later, after the lawyers and the police finished with them, Arizona was able to check her phone and saw that there were a couple of texts from Callie.

 _Is it wrong that I'm a little bit jealous that Owen got to see your boobs? -C_

 _And Kepner? -C_

 _And not like, possessive jealous, the other kind. Well… maybe a little possessive. -C_

The butterflies were back.

Her phone buzzed again.

 _They are great boobs. -C_

Arizona laughed. This was a bit more flirty than they had been with each other since the divorce, but Arizona couldn't help but feel elated at the conversation. She couldn't help but smile, in that cheek aching way, every time her phone buzzed with a text from Callie.

 _You have great boobs too, Callie. -A_

 _I know. You told me last night that they were perfect. -C_

 _I did, didn't I? Oh god. -A_

 _But seriously, Arizona. I'm glad you're okay. Sofia needs you. -C_

 _Just Sofia? -A_

 _Well, I mean, not just Sofia. The world needs you. You save babies. -C_

 _Addison asked me once if God knew who she was, I said, of course He does, you save babies. -C_

 _So yes, the world needs you. -C_

 _I was fishing for you to say you needed me too, Calliope. But thank you. Maybe one day you can scrub in with me on a maternal fetal surgery, then you'll save babies too. Though you don't need to save babies for God to know who you are. -A_

 _I knew what you were after. -C_

 _Just so you know, when you said you had cancer, all I could think to do was fly home to take care of you. I even decided I would move in with you, so that Sofia could be with you. -C_

 _I do need you Arizona. -C_

Arizona's pager went off with an emergency in the pit, frustrated with herself and with Callie and this situation, she typed off one quick message. _Emergency in the pit, will finish this later._ And took off for the ER. She had been missing Callie for a long time, physically and emotionally, and this flirty banter, interlaced with serious thoughts and feelings, was leaving her confused. She knew that Callie had broken up with Penny a few months ago, and the spark of hope that had lit in her heart raged over the last twenty minutes chatting with Callie.

She knew yesterday, during the whole thing in Hanson's office, and before she got blackout drunk that she needed Callie. Had wanted only Callie. Even when she was passed out drunk, she had told Jo that she was married. It had been almost four years since the divorce, and yet a small flutter of love for Callie existed there. There were various forms of it, but still it was there, and it was growing.


End file.
